


there’ll be plenty of sunshine

by oculata, unearth



Series: honeymoon, forever [2]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Family Bonding, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Season/Series 11, Slice of Life, uncle Mickey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28044528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oculata/pseuds/oculata, https://archiveofourown.org/users/unearth/pseuds/unearth
Summary: Mickey makes sure he’s the favorite uncle.
Relationships: Frances "Franny" Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Series: honeymoon, forever [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2044024
Comments: 12
Kudos: 211





	there’ll be plenty of sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> we went insane again...uncle mickey supremacy!
> 
> [mar twitter](https://twitter.com/ocuIata)   
>  [laur twitter](https://twitter.com/markofalover)

“I’m gonna get you, Uncle Mickey!”

“Yeah, come on, kid! Blow my brains out, come on.”

And then they’re bumbling out of the house with Franny almost tripping over her satin underskirt with every trot. Mickey trails behind her closely, watching the way her tiny pink shoes kick chunks of dirt loose. He’s got an arm out, too, just in case she trips over the big ass dress she’s got on. The thing’s bigger than her. _Jesus_. 

They’re running all across the yard, the two of them hiding behind lawn chairs, ducking behind the pool, chasing after each other around the staircase, and Franny’s giggle is the sweetest thing Mickey’s ever heard. Her laughter is flowing so easily through the air, and Mickey can’t help how happy he feels. Fun, sweet birthday parties were figments of movies and imagination—never reality. But, if there was anyone in the world who deserved the best fifth birthday in the world, it was his niece.

Mickey’s lungs are almost feeling raw and as he pauses to catch his breath, even though it means Franny gets a free shot at him, he notices a body leaned up against the doorframe.

“What’re you lookin’ at, dipshit?” Mickey asks, voice a mixture of annoyed and amused. Ian rolls his eyes and flashes him a grin.

“Can I not watch my husband and my niece shoot each other with fake guns?” Ian asks, eyes following Mickey’s body as he hunches over and tries to force air into his body.

“Eat me.”

“No, I’m withholding it,” Ian shoots back smugly before turning on his heels and trekking back into the house.

“Uncle Mickey!”

They’re back to running around in an instant. Mickey’s keeping a close eye on her, making sure that she doesn’t get too far out of the yard’s bounds because he’s already had a piece of shit day; he doesn’t need Debbie beating his ass, too. 

It’s all so fast and exciting that Mickey almost misses how Franny’s little run gets slower and how she can’t quite hold up her dress anymore.

“You okay, Franny? Wanna take a break?” he calls out to her, and when she turns around to face him, he can see just how much she wants to say that she’s fine and wants to play all night, but Mickey just smiles, walks up to her, and takes the gun from her. She’s looking up at him through big, bright eyes, her little body rapidly rising and falling as she tries to catch her breath. Mickey gently ruffles her hair and starts leading her towards the plastic lawn chairs.

“Need some help getting on there?” he asks, hand still on her head.

“Yes, please,” she replies and lifts her arms up in the air.

Mickey smiles again and lifts her gently, setting her down so the dress is comfortably laid under her, before heaving himself into the next chair to join her. Franny’s hair looks insane, strands sticking up in all different directions. Her carefully put together bun is long gone, and, fuck, there goes another point against him. Debbie probably hasn’t even taken pictures yet. 

“So you enjoying your party, kid?” Mickey asks as he grabs for a beer that isn’t there. He really should have fuckin’ grabbed one before they headed out. 

“I don’t like princesses,” Franny says, voice soft and her legs kicking about. She’s got a little frown on her face, brows furrowed as she looks up at him in the darkness, the only light coming from the house’s windows. She reaches up and runs her hand through her messy hair, tiara coming loose. “Mommy said I had to have a princess party.”

Mickey pulls a face. “Hey, look,” he says, taking the tiara from her small hands. With an embarrassed little chuckle, he carefully slides it through his hair and adopts a straighter posture so it doesn’t fall off. “You don’t gotta be a princess if you don’t wanna be. This make you feel better? Seeing Uncle Mickey as a princess?”

She giggles and tucks her face into her shoulder. “Uncle Mickey is a pretty princess. You look gooder than me.”

“ _Pretty_? You think Uncle Ian would say the same thing?”

Her little face twists up in confusion. “He says it every day.”

Mickey’s cheeks flush—his skin must be so bright, hot, and red. She’s not wrong there. “Guess he does. Hey, you wanna hop off and come over here?”

Franny slides off the rickety chair and throws her arms in the air again once she’s beside her uncle. He picks her up again, this time with a low grunt, and sets her on his lap. They’re sighing and smiling as the repose of night cools the adrenaline that’s strung across their bodies. The stars look endless; Franny almost looks like she’s counting them.

“I _am_ your favorite uncle, though, right?” Mickey interjects through the darkness.

“Yeah!” she cheers, her smile brighter than anything hanging in the sky.

“I’ll get you a bayonet if you tell that to your Uncle Ian tomorrow.”

“Okay!” she squeaks. 

Mickey presses his nose into Franny’s hair, smiling to himself. He presses a quick kiss to her head, grin widening when he feels the way she relaxes against his chest. He’s not sure how much time passes with them just sitting under the stars and softly breathing, but most of the lights in the house have gone out by the time Franny’s body fully slumps against him. 

He really doesn’t want to wake his niece, but the chill in the air gets a little worse with every second that passes by. “C’mon, my little birthday girl,” he whispers, “let's get you into bed, okay?”

And when he stands up, holding her close to his chest, he can’t help the way he starts smiling all over again. Because this is his life, now: getting to spend time with family that he actually _loves_. Family that actually loves _him_. Getting to take care of them and fix up shitty old houses and make sure that his niece actually enjoys her birthday party. 

When he lays her down in her bed, still in her bright pink dress, and places the gun with the rest of her toys, Mickey understands exactly what it means to be happy with those you love.


End file.
